Philippines-US war games begin amid China tensions

By Kate McGeown BBC News, Manila

Disputed territory
 
The games are happening at a time when tensions are already high between China and the Philippines over disputed territorial rights in the South China Sea.
Just last week, the Philippines' biggest warship was involved in a standoff with two Chinese surveillance vessels in the Scarborough Shoal, an area claimed by both Beijing and Manila.
The Philippine navy had been trying to arrest a group of Chinese fisherman, but the surveillance boats prevented them.

And earlier this month, Luo Yuan, a hawkish Chinese general, wrote in the state-run Global Times newspaper that the Philippines was facing its "last chance" to resolve its sovereignty issues.
"The biggest miscalculation of the Philippines is that it has misestimated the strength and willpower of China to defends its territorial integrity," he wrote.
Then there is the US factor. Beijing believes the South China Sea issue is only a regional concern and therefore Washington should not get involved.
But since last year, the US has been doing the exact opposite - refocusing its military attention on Asia and strengthening ties with the Philippines, negotiating an increase in troop numbers and more frequent joint exercises.

So given all this, the presence of thousands of US and Philippine troops holding exercises in Palawan, not far from the Spratly Islands - one of the main disputed areas - is hardly likely to be welcomed in Beijing.

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Tensions is growing between the Republic of the Philippines and People’s Republic of China as the battle for the Spratly Islands issue have been brought back. It  has been a sensitive issue for years, the dispute between China and Philippines of who's to own these islands.

If this tension gets worse, there would be economic effects in both countries. As we all know, China has a great contribution to Philippine economy. I am afraid that there might be a direct impact to our trading relationship with China. It could abolish the investments of Chinese investors and decease the ecomic status of the Philippines. It could cause a increase of unemployment rate in the Philippines and eventually tere will be a massive increase of poverty rate. this is just my hypothetical perspective .  I further recommend that both parties should should settle an agreement to avoid dispute and could come to create proposal in which both countries would be satisfied.

Gladly, the situation is improving. China recently held talks with ASEAN countries aiming at realizing a proposal for a free trade area between the ten countries involved. China and ASEAN have also been engaged in talks to create a code of conduct aimed at easing tensions in the disputed islands.